Stories from Noyan, Quebec Deployment

July 2011

Written by; Chaplain Patsy Switzer

Bernard

 Jean-Claude first met Bernard on July 4. A well-educated man, he was depressed, head was down and he wouldn’t make any eye contact at all.

At the time he was talking to someone about saving the floor in his renovated barn and he was being told no it could not be saved. He wasn’t taking it very well. Jean-Claude asked Him how he was holding up. He shared that he was scared. He had been alone for the last 3 years since his wife had left.

When the water was all around him he was living in fear because he was alone This visit lasted about 10 minutes as there was a group of people around taking his attention. A visit by Jean-Claude and Patsy a couple of days later found this gentleman wondering around his yard among the Samaritan Purse workers, (who seemed to be around this home constantly working as there was a lot to do), He asked the chaplains why they were there. We replied that we were there to share the love of Jesus. Then he shared about his faith journey of the Mystique.

On the third visit he said that the Chaplains were unbelievable “you come here with all your heart” he saw the joy that the Chaplains had. To our surprise he attended a bible study at the Methodist church on the Friday. A member of this church had invited him to attend. He sat there very attentive, listening and participated by reading a passage out of the bible when it came around to his turn. On Sunday Jean-Claude went around and picked him up to attend a service at the Alliance Church. After the service he was connected up with the members of this church. One of the members then drove him home. We went to see him every day to show him God’s love.

One day during the next week we found him quite disturbed as a group of approx. 15 SP workers were moving his belongings around. This invasion of his space brought back memories of the flood. The next day we were in a couple of times. He shared with us that he had attended a meeting of the Mystique the night before. He thought to himself while he sat in this meeting that those people there that night, go to those meetings to find joy. But the joy that they find at that meeting is only temporary. Because on Monday they go back to work and their regular lives not having found the joy they were seeking. But I know, he said, in seeing you guys there is only one joy and that is Jesus Christ. When you come in I see the joy of the Lord, in your faces. He continued the flood was one thing; the loss another thing, the outcome of it was that he met people with a great heart and love of Christ who changed his life. On the Saturday evening after the community BBQ Jean-Claude talked to Bernard and they went over to a seat across the park to talk about being saved and he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour in French. Praise the Lord.

On the following Tuesday Jean-Claude went to say goodbye to Bernard. Even though he was very sad he still gave Jean-Claude a big hug and thanked him with that beautiful big smile that he has.

Jean-Claude will follow up with him from his home.

Respectfully submitted by Chaplain Jean-Claude and Chaplain Patsy Switzer

IN HIM ALONE

- Today Bernard still goes to Bibles studies and Church on Sunday

Praise God, Thank you Jesus

In Come to the Table: Food, Fellowship, and a Celebration of God’s Bounty, Benita Long offers a compelling invitation from God that “ we come to the table to celebrate and enjoy the bounty of His blessings.”  Whether we’re Baptists, Presbyterians, Catholics, or Jews, as a family member of  the community of faith, we gladly accept this invitation as did our forefathers.

On Wednesday nights most churches gather as we do at my church, First Baptist, around tables to enjoy a meal, but it’s about more than food. It’s fellowship and celebration of birthdays, anniversaries, good news from doctors.  It’s prayer time, special and sacred, because we voice our needs and the needs of the extended community, to God.  Fond memories are laid, like stepping stones in cement, in the garden of our faith.

And if you perhaps think the food doesn’t measure up because it’s usually cheap, and cooked by lay people…think again.  Most church cooks put their hearts and souls into their work to glorify God.  It’s a labor of love.  Certainly it’s not the money!  First Baptist Food Services Director, Pam LaPire, and her staff do a great repeat performance weekly.

Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.”  Now, I am saying this tongue in cheek, but if last night’s meal for $10.00 (usually $6.00) at First Baptist had been fully unveiled to the food connoisseurs ofNorth Alabama, crowds of epicureans would have had to be turned away.  (Be sure to read to the last sentence in this article if your appetite is whetted!)

Every possible seat in the fellowship hall was reserved for a very special food event, thanks to Rebecca Dean, chair of the Special Events Committee and multiple volunteers.  The renowned French chef, Jean Claude Mille, was in Huntsvilleto cook alongside the church volunteers and staff.  Chef Jean Claude was trained at the renowned La Petit Vatel restaurant in Lyons, France. Shortly thereafter, he immigrated to the U.S. Within a year after coming to America, he became the Executive Chef at the famed New York’s Le Mistral.  At 24, he was cooking for the rich and famous, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Charlton Heston, Milton Berle, Duke Ellington, and many others.

Moving along the career path of a famed chef, Jean Claude became the executive chef of several  famous restaurants in South Florida, including the French restaurant La Reserve and Yesterday’s, a popular spot overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and known for its exotic food and night life. For a time he was part owner and Executive Chef of the Plum Room, a five-star restaurant set within Yesterday’s.  And then he landed a great job at the famous Regine’s back inNew York City.

How he came to be the Executive Chef at Billy Graham’s Training Center at the Cove is a story of how miracles happened along the way, of God’s timing and redemptive love , and, as Chef Jean Claude puts it, a waiting love, “ love that waited a lifetime for just me to come  home.”  In his just-out cook book, he tells how he met Billy Graham the first time at his mountain retreat.  It will send joy through your soul…a must read!

And just as it is God’s glory to conceal a matter, parts of Chef Jean Claude’s story would never be told if he didn’t tell them himself.  But it is a love story from beginning to end. In his recently published cook book, Recipes for Living, he tells his story and offers a love gift of gourmet recipes he’s developed and perfected over a lifetime, as well as stunningly beautiful pictures he himself has taken of the pristine beauty in places where he has experienced the power and presence of God.

Anne Graham Lotz affirms that God created a chef extraordinaire in Jean Claude.  “I can’t wait to try his recipes for my favorite dishes…which includes anything and everything he cooks!”

Gigi Graham says, “Our family has been blessed and well fed by our friend Jean Claude.”

Here’s the menu he and the staff at First Baptist served up to perfection Wednesday evening.  The best part of all is that you may be able to get him to come cook up a feast at your church or Christian organization if you let him share his story of God’s waiting love and his dream for the children of Haiti.   You may contact Chef Jean Claude at 828-280-1607 or at www.chefjeanclaude.com..

Menu

Slow Roasted Prime Rib with Natural Au Jus and Horseradish Cream Sauce

Baked Fresh Blue Water Atlantic Salmon

Roasted Red Pepper Citrus Coulis

Candied Garlic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing and Crisp Croutons

Vegetable Medley with Garlic and Fresh Herbs

Fresh Baked Rolls

Homemade Crème Brulee Served with Fresh Raspberries and Blueberries

 Thank you Judy

Written by Lynn Bradshaw

February 18, 2010
Jean Claude left Ft. Lauderdale with Samaritan’s Purse to go to Haiti. His primary responsibility is to cook for the Samaritan’s Purse staff. The plane left Ft. Lauderdale at 8:20am on February 18, 2010. He was in a small plane with 10 people on board. They arrived at Caicos Island at 11:30 to refuel. He should arrive in Haiti around 1:30. He sent this picture.

2:20: had a text message and Jean-Claude is in Haiti…
4:35: Jean-Claude just called. He is on a bus in Port-au-Prince going from the SP compound to the Baptist Hospital. When he arrived, they (SP) decided he needed to stay at the Baptist hospital instead of the SP compound. It seems to be a better place for him and he will be able to serve more people. They found out he speaks the French-Creole language very well which is helpful because they will be able to use him as a translator. That made them very happy. He said there are thousands and thousands of people in the streets. Tents are lined up everywhere. He described it as “rubble” and “Exodus”, it was like the end of the world. He said that you could see it on TV but you can’t even imagine how it is unless you are there. The weather is 80 degrees and he is eager to do whatever they need him for. He plans to email me as often as he can and will give updates. I assured him that we were all praying for him and he was grateful.
9:30: Jean-Claude spoke to John Pope via Skype. He has been moved to a mission compound which is located above 4000 feet in elevation. He will be able to visit a market each day to purchase food to cook for doctors who work for the relief effort. He mentioned that he was very tired.

February 19, 2010
3:15: Received this picture from Jean-Claude followed by a phone call. He said he is overwhelmed by the devastation there and needed to hear a voice from home. When he is in the hospital, there are so many people but also so many children there. When the children hear him speak in their language he said that it brings a huge smile to their faces! Some of them were under rubble for days and he said it is such a sad thing. He said if he speaks French to someone, suddenly there are so many people wanting to talk to him. Communication with the relief help apparently has been quite an effort. Tomorrow he plans to bring some candy with him to pass out to the children. He is cooking for the surgeons so they are showing him photos of some of the surgeries they have completed. He described it and just said “I am okay, it is just so much”…. He said to say hello to everyone and to tell you that he is grateful for your prayers.

February 23, 2010
Have spoken to Jean-Claude by phone, text and Skype over the last few days. He is feeling better about being here and is not so overwhelmed. The SP team assured him that almost everyone who goes there feels that way at first.
He said one night there were about 12 people in a room of the hospital praising our Lord and before he knew it there were around 75. He said they were singing, dancing and shouting praises to the Lord. He had not been in a worship service like that in his life. He has befriended a young man named Yonnel (see photo).

They are often seen together and Jean-Claude refers to him as his little cook and prayer partner… The other child in the photograph is Yonnel’s brother.
Jean-Claude has been able to purchase food at a local market. Sunday chicken was on the menu and yesterday it was curried goat. He said the doctors ate it and licked the bowl clean… There have been many tremors and they still frighten the Hatian people. They run into the streets and scream when they happen. Two nights ago there was a 4.7 magnitude and so many people were frightened. Jean-Claude must have been tired because he confessed that he slept right through it. There are guards who protect the compound where he stays and the hospital so he feels very safe there. They have escorted him to the market at times. He said they have to use a lot of bleach on everything to prevent them from getting sick. He has been experiencing a slight sore throat but was told that was normal. New teams come in at the end of the week so he has different people to work with this week. He is enjoying communicating with the locals and they continue to smile when they find out he can speak their language.
Jean-Claude said he will never forget his first days in Haiti but he knows the Lord has called him to pour his love out on the Hatian people and that there will be plenty of blessings. He also knows the enemy is very near and asks us to pray without ceasing.

February 24, 2010
10:15am: Spoke to Jean-Claude on Skype. He is feeling rested after a slow day yesterday. He took time to rest and recuperate. He has several prayer requests today. The young man, Yonnel, that he has befriended had surgery yesterday. When the earthquake happened, a huge boulder rolled over Yonnel and broke both of his arms and a leg. He is healing but his leg is not doing well. The doctors had to re-break it and today his condition is not good. In Haiti, you have surgery and your family is your caregiver in the hospital and soon you are sent back home. There are not nurses in the hospitals like we have to take care of daily needs. Jean-Claude requested prayer for two women who would be having surgical procedures today. Both had been pregnant and lost their babies due to the stress of the earthquake. He said the children had been dead inside them for quite awhile now and today was the surgery day. This afternoon after lunch he is going into what he referred to as the ghetto. Several SP staff put in $20 each and purchased 200 pounds of rice. They are going into the ghetto to share Jesus and to pass out food. There were about 6 people going. He said they have had no food there and was looking very forward to the trip to be able to help them if he could. He said the Haitian people he has met are very humble and grateful for any and all help. He feels blessed that much of his time is spent in the secure compound but when he ventures out, he has found wonderful people there. Around the hospital he is referred to as Papa Jean-Claude. He has been able to purchase bibles in Creole and give them to different ones as the Lord leads him. He continues to be grateful for the prayers and asks us to please continue to pray for them.

My buddy Yonnel Waiting for the loved one
1:00pm These photos were received from Jean-Claude with a request to pray:

PLEASE PRAY FOR YONNEL (MY BUDDY) WHO WENT BACK TO SURGERY YESTERDAY THAT HE WILL HAVE A SPEEDY RECOVERY (ALSO ORKING TO SPONSOR HIM AS WE SPEAK) WHAT A AWESOME BOY WHO IS IN PAIN AND STILL SMILING

ALSO FOR TWO LADIES AT THE HOSPITAL (not pictured) THAT THEIR BABIES DIED INSIDE THEM AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE AND THE DOCTORS ARE GOING TO REMOVE THEM THIS MORNING THANKS GOD BLESS

3:00 pm
Jean-Claude called and is back from the ghetto. He said 8 people (including him) went and the people they met were really responsive to what they had to offer. (note** The way Jean-Claude described the ghetto sounded like we would describe mountain folk – he said it was way back in the woods and they cook on the ground) SP provided them with a tent and they were so grateful to have the rice they brought. He was amazed at how poor these people are. They cook on the floor (ground?). He asked again for prayers for Yonnel as Jean-Clause went to the hospital after returning from the ghetto and Yonnel is hurting very badly and is crying a lot. The doctors don’t know if he will ever walk straight again.

February 25, 2010
Jean-Claude sent the following photos today and said that Yonnel is feeling much better today. He still cries a lot with pain but Jean-Claude held his hand and prayed with him for a long time.

These people have been to the market and are bringing home what they have bought.

These are photos of some of the doctors performing surgery and then taking a much needed break. You can see the hospital and the beautiful mountains in the background.

This is a bull that someone bought so they could cook it. It was still alive and they shot it but it did not die. They kept shooting it and when they cut it up there were many bullets in it. Jean-Claude thought he would be able to cook different cuts of meet but whoever butchered the bull cut all of it into stew meat. He said he didn’t know exactly what part he was cooking… He said the lady from the health department that inspects The Cove should see this!

These are pictures of Yonnel. He is beginning to feel better but is still in quite a bit of
pain.

Jean-Claude did not make any reference to this little girl but notice her shirt… All little girls like princesses!

3:30pm:
Jean-Claude called on skype and told us about a wonderful time they had signing to the Lord last night. It always lifts everyone’s spirit. The work for SP is coming to an end there very soon. They are making plans for their departure in a few weeks. He said the Army is already pulling out and he could hear the planes leaving early this morning.
His work has included cooking for the surgeons and doctors, actually assisting the doctors some in the hospital, praying for people who are in the hospital and taking food out on the short trips they take to distribute food and other items.
He told us that there is a grounds person who works for the hospital. They cut the grass there with machetes. He said even though these people seem to have nothing, they are always so happy. The place he is staying is located about 20 miles from Port-au-Prince and is at 4000 feet in elevation.

3/4/10
This email came from Jean-Claude describing a day in Haiti…

A day at Baptist Haiti Mission

5:45 am
Time to get up and ask the Lord for His blessing, guidance and direction for the day

6:00 am
I made the first pot of coffee and starting to cook breakfast. I started with a pot of water and a little milk for the oatmeal. I broke the eggs that would be scrambled. Later I chopped some onions, sautéed them. Then I added potatoes.

7:00 am
Breakfast time! (14 people but it varies) The medical team (from all over the world) is talking what happened the day before (It’s very interesting for a chef to hear them talking doctor and surgeon stuff).

7:30 am
Devotion time. Dr Lance Plyler (from Hendersonville, small world) shared an awesome devotion and then we had prayer time.

8:00 am
The medical team goes to work at the hospital and we are on the way to go to the market in Pietonville to buy food for 3 days. It’s about 10 miles of bumpy road and also a lot of traffic with our driver Hogan (from Haiti who is also a chaplain and translator). He drove us through miles of destruction and sadness. We also drove through Tent City. it took us 2and 1/2 hours to get there. I got chicken, pork chops, and some other items like cookies, mayonnaise, oil etc……

11:00 am
Driving back to the mission

12:00 noon
I just made it in time for lunch. We had sandwiches with ham and cheese and homemade bread from the mission bakery. Including the Chaplains there were about 16 people. For dessert we had homegrown fresh papaya, mangos, and pineapple….

1:00 pm
An hour of quiet time reading and prepping my bible study for tonight.

2:00 pm
Going to the hospital to visit and pray. As a surprise, I am bringing cookies (bonbon) and candies (surette) to the children. When they saw them, they were all smiling and they said “thank you “.
I also talked to my buddy Yonnel and prayed with him.

3:00 pm
Prepping the dinner for tonight. Pork chops with candied onions and roasted potatoes and cookies for dessert (French cookies, yum)

3:45 pm
Getting dressed (chaplain uniform) to go to l’eglise de Tomassin (Tomassin church) with chaplains Brian and Mark to meet with youth pastors from different churches. We will talk about how to teach Haitian pastor to preach the gospel and do evangelism and bring people to Christ.
It was a very productive meeting.

6:00 pm
Dinner time with the team (and more medical talk).

7:00 pm
After dinner we went to the hospital (this was the first night for the new medical team because the other team left a day earlier). As we arrived, we gathered all the patients from different hospital rooms to one room. There is a patient, Pascale, who is healing from multiple fractures. She is the one who leads the praising and praying of the group. We sang about 4-5 songs in French and Creole then shared bible verses like John 17 1-19 (in French). There were tears and after we sang more worship songs, we prayed and prayed, asking for the Lord’s grace and mercy on the people of Haiti. It was a very moving time, a time that I will never forget…….

9:00 pm
Back home with the team. Dr Lance decided to make popcorn and we started talking about “what a beautiful day we had with the Lord”.

10:20 pm
We just had an emergency call from the hospital. A four year old baby was burned with a pot of boiling water. His father carried him seven miles from their home on foot. I was blessed to be there to pray for the baby and his father and to translate from French to English for the doctors and also to help in the OR.

12:00 pm
Going to bed with a great feeling of joy in my heart.
Falling asleep with a big smile and resting because we have another full day tomorrow.

P.S.
Thank you Lord that you chose and blessed us (the team) to come here to a beautiful country where there is so much pain and sorrow. That we are able to share your light and your LOVE……
Thank you Jesus!

March 5, 2010
2:15 pm
Spoke to Jean-Claude on Skype. He is doing very well and each day finds him very busy. A typical day finds him waking up around 5:30 or 5:45am. He never knows what the day will be like as he is working as a cook, chaplain and translator. He sees at least 2 – 3 salvations per day. Several days back he traveled to the Tent City with the SP team and saw 8 salvations in half an hour. He said it was humbling.

Today he was able to pray with a man who would not live through the day. He had a very high fever and infection in his whole body. Jean-Claude asked him if he knew Jesus. He said he did and they were able to discuss what he would be seeing in heaven soon. Jean-Claude had to turn around because he was overwhelmed and did not want the man to see his tears.

He also had the opportunity to pray for a woman who was giving birth. He said she was in the next room and was screaming very loud. He said the baby and mother are doing well and he felt it was such a privilege to pray for them.
Two days prior to that, a woman had come to the hospital to deliver her baby. She brought her voodoo priest with her. The priest used his broom and sprinkled what Jean-Claude referred to as voodoo water all around the room. Jean-Claude said they went in after he left and really prayed. He asked for prayer because they are so heavy into this type of religion there.

As we were talking, someone came to the door and he left the camera for a few minutes. He could be heard talking in French but it was very low. He was laughing when he came back. There was someone trying to sell him vegetables. I asked if he bought any and he said no. If he had bought vegetables from this person, within an hour he would have 50 more people at his door trying to sell him vegetables. It was the same way when he gave out candy or purchased a bible for someone. He said it is “if you do it for one, you have to do it for all”.

I asked about Yonnel and was told he is doing better. His mother, however, has stage 4 cancer and is not doing well. They have found a bed for her at the hospital. Jean-Claude gave her the sheets he brought with him for her to keep. He asked for prayer for both of them.

The baby who was burned a couple of days ago continues to improve. He has to have skin grafts and is given a lot of medication to keep him comfortable. Jean-Claude is amazed at how the workings of the doctors goes. He is in the hospital as a chaplain and translator so he sees most of what goes on there.

There are so many people with so many different types of illnesses and wounds that the team has to use hand sanitizer often. They carry it with them all the time. They got 2 goats today and Jean-Claude pretended he was a surgeon and butchered them. He was going to cook goat for supper tonight. He goes to the hospital 4 – 5 times a day as well as cooking meals for the doctors. He said at the end of the day the doctors are so tired that they can’t even talk while they eat dinner. If a call comes in while they are eating, they drop what they are doing and go to the hospital. They never complain. Never. They start work around 7:00 or 7:30 and work until 9:00 or 10:00 at night. A new team arrives each week.

He knows God sent him there to do exactly what he is doing. He thanks us for the prayers and asks that we please continue.

Jean-Claude operating on a goat….

March 8, 2010
Jean-Claude spoke in French at a church in Haiti on Psalms 139. Afterward this photo was taken.

March 9, 2010
10:00 am
Jean-Claude called in on Skype today. He is doing well and is enjoying his work there. Recently he has had two goats to cook. He said the first must have been a papa goat because when he cooked (roasted) it, it was like wood even though it tasted good. He said tonight he would make curried goat and would boil it for about 6 hours first.

Yonnel is doing better. His mother has been given a room at the hospital that is referred to as an apartment. She spoke to Jean-Claude yesterday and told him that she was hungry. It is normally the duty of the family to take care of this but as she is so sick and so is Yonnel, Jean-Claude went to where he was staying and got 3 eggs and cooked them for her. He also gave her some cookies and some health bars that he had brought with him and some water. He was so glad to do that for her. The doctor showed him (what Jean-Claude referred to as pictures) X-rays and her right breast is completely deteriorated with cancer.

Jean-Claude spoke (in French) at church on Sunday. The director of the hospital heard him and began to talk to him about his ministry (Dinner & A Testimony). He had heard about it from the SP staff who were there. The director asked if Jean-Claude would speak to the hospital staff. He agreed and cooked them a chicken dinner and shared his testimony.

The children in Haiti do not have to go to school. When they do go, they have to pay for it. If they don’t go to school, when they turn around 8 or 9 years old, they go to work in the fields with their fathers picking up (harvesting?) vegetables. Jean-Claude has been trying to encourage the young boys to get into school and “make something of themselves” when they grow up. He is telling them that they can be doctors if they want to…. When they go to the Mission school, they learn to speak English. These are very poor people and it is easy for him to relate to them because of the way he grew up. He told them that he had meat only on Sunday and many days they only had bread for dinner and he was always so thankful to get that. He hoped knowing this about him would encourage these boys to do better for themselves. He told them that they couldn’t just sit around doing nothing and hoping for things to change, but that they had to do something to help themselves.

There are always guards at the hospital so they always feel safe there. He is able to communicate with everyone except the people from the country. They speak just Creole instead of French Creole and it is more difficult to communicate.

They went to minister at the Tent City and saw 12 salvations. There are a million people who are homeless. Thousands of people are there and it is a great place to share the gospel.

He will be back at the end of next week and he told me that even though he has been there for 3 weeks, it feels like it is day 1. He loves the people and the work he is doing for the Lord.

.

Next Event

February 3 2012 @ 7 PM

WORLD HARVEST CHURCH NORTH

135 Bud Franklin Road, Blairsville, Georgia, 30212

Reservation @ 706-633-9139

MENU

Grilled Marinated Tuscan Chicken

Sun Dried Tomato Coulis

Herb Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes

 California Gourmet Baby Green salad

 Homemade White Balsamic Vinaigrette

 Old Country Creamed Corn

 Fresh baked bread

Vanilla Bean Crème Caramel

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NEXT EVENT

February 10 2012, 7:30 pm

OPEN DOOR MISSION

156 Plymouth Avenue

Rochester, NewYork

Reservation @ 585-454-6696

MENU

Slow Roasted Prime Rib

Natural au Jus and Fresh Horseradish Sauce

Baked Fresh Blue Water Atlantic Salmon

Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

Candied Garlic-Buttermilk Mashed Potato

Caesar Salad, Homemade Dressing, Crisp croutons

Tuscan Vegetable Medley with Roasted Garlic and Herbs

Fresh Baked Bread

Homemade Vanilla and Fresh Berries Crème Brule

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The LORD remains faithful forever
He stands up for those who are beaten down.
He gives food to hungry people.
The LORD sets prisoners free.
The LORD gives sight to those who are blind.
The LORD lifts up those who feel helpless.
The LORD loves those who do what is right.

 FOOD FOR THE BODY AND THE SPIRIT

“JESUS” said unto them

 Come and dine – John 21:12